-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She has become a symbol of the violent protests in Turkey . Across social media , she 's known as `` The Woman in Red . ''

Wearing a red summer dress and a delicate necklace , the woman walked among demonstrators in Istanbul 's Taksim Square when a security officer lurched at her and pepper-sprayed her so powerfully her hair was blown upward .

She could do nothing but turn away from the toxic spray . The officer , wearing a gas mask , lunged closer to her , unleashing more spray on the back of her neck . She covered her mouth as officers spray others .

The photos of the incident have been shared widely on social media in recent days . International headlines have proclaimed her an `` icon '' of the movement against the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan .

`` That photo encapsulates the essence of this protest , '' a math student named Esra told Reuters . `` The violence of the police against peaceful protesters , people just trying to protect themselves and what they value . ''

The images have also inspired cartoons and graffiti in Turkey and around the world . And just seeing a woman in a red dress walking in public has apparently touched a chord with other women in the region , too .

Zeinobia tweeted , `` The woman in red in Turkey , I wish to wear such dress in downtown Cairo without fear , without protests , without sexual harassment . ''

But the truth is that woman in red told CNN Wednesday that she wants no part of this .

What 's happening in Turkey is the `` people 's revolt , '' she said .

Ceyda Sungur told Turkey 's TV 24 that she is uncomfortable about her new fame . She does n't want to be an icon of a movement .

`` There are a lot of people who were at the park and they were also tear-gassed , '' she said . `` There is not -LRB- a -RRB- difference between them and I. ''

But , she added , `` I am not surprised '' about the violence that evolved from what began days ago as a peaceful sit-in to protest plans to demolish a park in central Istanbul -- the last green space in the city center .

Some in the crowd chanted `` Tayyip resign ! ''

`` Shoulder to shoulder against fascism ! '' they shouted .

Riot police moved in , lobbing tear gas and using pepper spray . Protesters responded by hurling bottles , blocking bulldozers and setting up barricades . Eventually , protesters and police were locked in full-on clashes .

Erdogan conceded Saturday that Turkish security forces had used tear gas excessively against demonstrators .

On Tuesday , a top Turkish official apologized for the `` police aggression '' and trade unions threw their weight behind the demonstrations .

The 240,000-member KESK confederation of public-sector workers called for a two-day strike to protest what it calls the `` fascism '' of Erdogan 's ruling Justice and Development Party .

Riot police around Ankara 's central Kizilay Square brought in armored vehicles topped with water cannon in a show of force Tuesday evening , but the demonstrations throughout Wednesday were mostly calm .

CNN 's Talia Kayali contributed to this report .

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Ceyda Sungur is pepper-sprayed by security forces

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Images of her in a red dress , unarmed , move people to call her an icon of Turkey protests

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Sungur says there is no difference between her and others tear-gassed in the park

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Protests in Turkey have been raging for days , as riot police clash with demonstrators